You're a Snowball Like Me!

Just a perfect fit

Life is short. Life is not simple, but it can be very beautiful.

I see people as huge snowballs– each snowflake is an experience, and the snowball is constantly rolling, collecting a multitude of experiences every second. Every action I choose to do adds to my snowball and becomes a part of my identity.

If I were to compare your snowball with mine, there might be few similarities that overlap, but on the whole, our snowballs would be unique. Hence, when I read "what makes you unique?" I don't know where to start. Although I hope the answer would be a simple explanation, like all the wonderful things in life, it isn't.

We hope a newborn baby cries when it first comes out. Although this may sound like a harsh welcoming to life, our first cry in this world literally keeps us alive. Just take a moment to truly digest that thought.

We all get a similar start, until our snowballs start rolling in drastically different courses. The very combination of our snowflakes under the different paths, is what makes us unique.

I was born in a family where my siblings are more than 13 years elder to me. I was allowed to skip to the first grade. I struggled with public reading in third grade. I was grade topper in fourth grade. I fell in love with basketball. I didn't enjoy practices because I felt I wasn't any good. I loved practices because they were fun. I played on the school team. I started a choir club for middle school students. I traveled to Kenya for a life-changing volunteer trip. I came to the U.S. to pursue Engineering. I am afraid. I am curious. I am currently writing this sentence at 11:11 pm.

Although you might be able to relate to a few experiences, the chances of both of us having all of them match are slim to none.

I want you to take out a sheet of paper and divide it into three columns titled "Person I am", "Person I could be", and "Person I look". Write down only positive things on this sheet. It is going to be your aid through rough times, and you won't need the devil in disguise; often it's too easy to not listen close enough, and mistaken that voice for fact.

In the first column, write down as many personality-related attributes you like about yourself like "smiling at strangers in the street" or "not littering". No matter how trivial these may seem, it can make a huge impact on another person. In the second column, write personality related goals like "react more calmly to life's surprises" or "give people benefit of the doubt". The third column exists because unfortunately we are taught to believe appearances matter more than they do, so list a few positive things about your physical appearance.

You are a unique individual. No one in this world has the snowball you have that fits and builds you perfectly. While the snowball continues to grow, remember to constantly sprinkle positivity. The list is something I did for myself, and it has helped me remember why I am worth loving myself. You are worth every bit of love you give your mom, dad, cat, dog and your most treasured possession combined.

As opportunities arise, remember to leap forward knowing you can conquer anything, as that is what you have been doing all along. Also, remember most opportunities come disguised as struggle. Just take a deep breath, and tell yourself no one else can tackle it the way you can, because your snowball is a unique one.